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Council directs staff to pursue parks master plan with Catalyst and to explore grant administration options
Summary
Council voted to direct staff to pursue a parks master plan using a piggyback contract from other municipalities and to discuss grant administration options with Hale Innovation; staff said a county grant window makes the timing urgent for planning work.
The Lake Placid Town Council on Monday directed staff to advance a parks and trails master plan and to explore grant‑administration partners to help pursue state grant funding.
Councilmember Colin Charles moved and the council adopted directions for staff to negotiate a contract with Catalyst Design (using a piggyback option from neighboring municipalities) to prepare a parks and recreation master plan that includes trail connectivity. The motion also authorized staff to meet with Hale Innovation (a firm that assists with grants and grant administration) and return to a future meeting with a recommendation for grant administration services.
Councilmembers cited recent consultant work by the county tourism development office and a window of opportunity for Florida recreation grants this summer. Councilmember Charles said examples from Spring Lake and Lake Wales showed how a master plan brought stronger rankings in state grant competitions; she said an example contract for 12 parks ran about $38,000 and suggested Lake Placid could expect a similar order of magnitude.
Town staff said the master plan would help set priorities, provide design cost estimates for budgeting, and support competitive grant applications for programs such as state recreation or trails funding. Staff noted that the typical timeline includes initial inventory and public workshops, followed by design recommendations and cost estimates.
The council approved both motions unanimously. Councilmembers and several residents said they viewed a master plan as a step that could unlock private donations and higher scoring for competitive grants.
Next steps are: staff will return with a draft contract or piggyback agreement with Catalyst, and a separate recommendation about potential grant administration with Hale Innovation, including fee estimates and proposed scope.
